Swedish parliament approved the European Union's Lisbon Treaty after a long-time debate Thursday night.

The Swedish 349-seat parliament approved the treaty by a vote of 243 to 39, while 13 unpolled and 54 members were absent. So far, 25 countries of the 27-member EU has approved the treaty.

The treaty, signed by EU heads of state and government in December last year, will make the bloc's much-needed institutional reforms possible. It needs to be ratified by all EU member states before it can enter into force. But the treaty was turned down by the Irish public in a referendum in June.

(Xinhua News Agency November 21, 2008)